~Incinerate~

Chapter 1 – "Sunset Horizons"

"Trust your heart, let fate decide to guide these lives we see". Disney's Tarzan, "Two Worlds"

Disclaimer: I do not own Kingdom Hearts II. None of its characters belong to me. I make no profit off this work of fiction. The song lyrics I use belong to The Walt Disney Company and its creators. This story is only to amuse me in my spare time and to hopefully be enjoyed by the ones who choose to read it.

Hushed voices murmured above her, the words indistinct.

Thick warmth wrapped itself around her, softness cradling her body. A thought flickered through her mind, a question of how long she'd been there briefly rousing her before falling away. Sleep weighed her down, the warmth only adding to the desire to remain as she was. Her limbs were heavy, her knees and elbows oddly stiff. Moving only made it worse.

"…for the best, my friend," a deep voice stated. "They will not find her there."

The other voice didn't respond, and silence descended upon them. The words seemed important, somehow. She tried to turn her head, but found it only pressed her deeper into the softness. She relaxed, letting the words and everything else drift into a haze of sleep.

Something pressed underneath her, lifting her away from the warmth. Too tired to protest, she allowed herself to be settled against an unfamiliar surface. Not as soft as what had been before, but it was warm and living, moving gently with each breath. She became aware of how weak her knees felt, the dead weight of her limbs. Why was she so tired?

"Hey, you," a voice whispered, broken with sadness. A pang erupted in her chest, so strong that she was nearly jolted out of her daze. Who…? The thought was hard to hold onto, but she stubbornly clutched it close. It was important. She had to know.

"Astrid?"

She had to see!

"Astrid? Honey?"

Cracking her eyes open felt impossible, but determination won out. It was dark, but a bright light glared at her from the right. Turning away from it, she idly recognized that she was being held. It was hard, but she craned her neck upward, seeing the voice's owner. Silver hair fell around his face, framing brilliant eyes that reminded her of the sea. Her heart jumped in her chest. She knew those eyes. She opened her mouth to speak, but nothing came out. He looked shocked, but a happy smile illuminated his face. She turned into his embrace, faintly hearing the rhythm of his heart.

I know you.

"Hey, Charming," she heard herself say, her voice barely more than a rasp. The way he looked at her, so full of happiness and relief, she didn't care.

"Astrid."

"Hey," he whispered back, holding her close. Her cheek rested against his chest, and she reveled in his closeness. Something inside her eased, pulling her back into the warmth. She knew she was safe here, with him. "I missed you."

"Astrid, get up!"

No, let me stay…she was aware of someone shaking her, trying to jar her awake.

"Astrid!"

I want to stay with him! She tried to pull him close, but her body was too heavy and he was drifting away from her.

"Astrid!"

A jolt wracked her entire body from head to toe. Her eyes shot open, heart beating wildly while her throat seized up. She thought she might cry. She tried to remember what she'd been dreaming about, but it was gone. All that remained was a sadness she couldn't explain.

"Honey?" Turning her head, she cringed as her neck cracked, sending pain down her shoulder and through her cheek. Her mother sat on the bed beside her, a frown of worry creasing her forehead. "There you are, sleepyhead. I've been trying to get you up for ten minutes!"

"…hey," was the best she could manage. Closing her eyes against the sunlight streaming in from the open window, she stretched, feeling her joints pop sickeningly. She felt like she could sleep for a year and still not feel awake. A quick glance at the clock on the bedside table told her it was nearly two o'clock.

"Marie's here. She said you two were going out shopping today."

"Oh, shit," she groaned. Not again.

"Astrid," her mom warned.

"Sorry, sorry." She threw back the blankets, her shoulders and knees cracking as she sat up. "Tell her I'll be down in just a second." Getting to her feet unsteadily, she wobbled her way over to the closet. She felt as though she'd been hit by a truck. Her mom remained sitting on the bed, watching her with exasperation.

"Do you really think it's fair to keep doing this to her?"

"Thanks, Mom, make me feel worse."

"Do you?" Her mom challenged. "You just don't seem to care anymore. You sleep half the day away, and whenever you do come down you're like a different person." Irritation crawled up Astrid's spine, tightening the back of her neck. She opened the closet doors, wondering if she'd find anything clean from the pile on the floor. Kicking away a pair of jeans she knew was dirty, she looked deeper, hoping her mom would get the hint. "Not going to say anything, then?"

"I'm sorry," she muttered. "I just overslept. I'll be down in a minute." An agonizingly long, awkward moment passed before her mom sighed and left the room. She shut the door slightly harder than necessary, letting Astrid know she'd be in for it later. She sighed herself, resting her forehead against the closet door. Exhaustion swept through her, her body feeling like lead was pumping through her veins. Forcing herself upright, she pulled out the first shirt she saw and a pair of jeans that looked decently clean. Stepping into them slowly, her eyes closed of their own accord, itchy and irritated. Pulling the shirt over her head, she tiredly reached over and grabbed her perfume, spraying a cloud around her head. Putting on deodorant felt like a monumental effort. A quick glance in the mirror had her cringing. Dark circles rimmed her eyes, her skin unusually pale. I look like a dead person.

Figuring Marie would forgive her for a few more minutes, she stepped into the bathroom. Brushing her teeth and putting on makeup took longer than it should have, but Marie wouldn't mind. Risking another look in the mirror, she contemplated her appearance.

Black hair fell to the middle of her back, far too long for the summer. Makeup had lessened the dark circles, but she still looked distinctly tired. The bright red shirt she'd pulled on at least made her skin look less dead-looking. Deciding that she could get away with not brushing her hair, she walked back to her room where her purse was. Making sure her wallet and keys were in their rightful places, she headed downstairs.

Her mom was sitting at the island in the kitchen, talking animatedly to Marie. A notepad was between them, with a word written in large block letters. Marie was nodding, a small frown on her face. This scene wasn't anything new. Marie liked to listen, and that trait gave free reign to chatterboxes. More often than not, Marie would be found sitting and listening to someone talking about everything and nothing, just like now.

"It's just the strangest thing," her mom was saying, shaking her head. "How can someone steal something like that?"

"I don't know," Marie said, looking equally troubled. "One of mine was taken, too."

"One of your what?" Astrid regretted the question, as her mother raked her with a disappointed look. Marie turned to her, a small smile greeting her. At least one person doesn't hate me, she thought sourly. Marie pushed the notepad towards her, her expression suddenly flabbergasted.

"A lot of people around town have lost -." Astrid looked up at the sudden silence, confused. Marie rolled her eyes and mouthed a word exaggeratingly.

"Spit it out," Astrid said with a small laugh. Marie gave her a look.

"Don't you think I would if I could? Nobody can say -." Marie's lips moved, but no sound came out. Astrid looked closely at her mouth, then looked to the notepad. The word written there was smeared and illegible, but she thought she recognized what Marie was trying to say.

"Nobody can say -?" Her heart jumped in her chest. She tried again, but nothing came out. It was as if her voice had been snatched from her. "What the hell?!"

"That's what we've been trying to figure out," Marie responded, looking disturbed. "I mean, you can guess what I'm saying, and everyone knows what's been stolen, but to somehow take the word too? That's screwed up."

"Marie was telling me that a lot of people have lost…their things," her mom said, pursing her lips. "Apparently Seifer's blaming Hayner and his friends."

"He would," Astrid snorted. "But even Seifer can't blame them for taking a word, can he?" This is so weird, she thought with a shiver. What does it mean? For a moment she felt more awake than she had in weeks.

"He's doing all he can to make it look like they did," Marie said wryly. She pushed back from the table, getting to her feet. "Well, there's not much we can do about it until the - get returned. You still want to go out?"

"Yeah, sounds good," Astrid said, attempting a smile. Anything would be better than facing her mom's disappointment. The tiredness swept through her as she left the kitchen and headed out the door. "We'll be back around dinner," she called over her shoulder.

"It was nice to see you again, Adalyn," Marie said, smiling at Astrid's mom as she followed Astrid.

"You too, honey. You're welcome to stay for dinner if you like!" She called, waving goodbye before shutting the door behind them. Marie smiled and nudged her, saying hello in her quiet way. Astrid felt a familiar wave of guilt wash over her. It wasn't the first time Marie had waited for her.

"You want to get tea before we shop?" Marie asked before she could apologize. She smiled, and Astrid relaxed. Marie always knew what to say and what was needed.

They headed up the hill to Market Street, the incline making Astrid's already sore knees ache. This must be what old people feel like, she thought, wondering what she'd done to make them hurt so badly. The sun was at its usual place in the sky, looking like it was just about to set. Except for nighttime and the early morning, the sun never moved, bathing the town in perpetual twilight. The orange cast to the buildings and roads used to make Astrid think of warm, cozy afternoons, but now it just seemed bland. Nothing ever changes here. They waited for a tram to pass by, waving to the people on board. At least, Marie managed a real wave; Astrid merely lifted a hand.

Astrid spotted Seifer walking towards them and decided it was worth the effort of an actual wave. He nodded at them in return, his eyes lingering on Marie. Not that she noticed; she kept her eyes forward, purposely avoiding looking at him. "Tell me if you see Hayner or any of his loser friends," he called as he walked by. "I've got a score to settle." Marie rolled her eyes, not bothering to be subtle about it.

"He's a bully," she defended as she noticed Astrid's look. "I hate how everyone lets him get away with it."

"He's on the Disciplinary Committee," Astrid reasoned. She liked Seifer. Marie wasn't wrong, Seifer definitely used his power as the Head of the Disciplinary Committee to intimidate anyone he didn't like, but he was refreshingly honest. He'd been that way ever since they were kids.

"He's a bully," Marie reiterated.

"He likes you, too." Marie actually spluttered. Her face turned bright red despite her nonchalant shrug.

"So that's a reason to pretend he's not an asshole?"

"No, I'm just saying that he does." Astrid laughed and nudged her. "Come on, I'm just teasing."

"Not funny. The day I date Seifer is the day hell freezes over."

Astrid privately thought the two of them would be good together. Seifer had had a crush on Marie for years, but had never said a word to her. Marie had never realized, mostly because she didn't like Seifer, but also because she didn't think she was pretty enough to warrant such attention. While Marie was very short, barely reaching five feet (not that Astrid could brag, being only two inches taller), she was incredibly pretty when she actually gave a shit about her looks. She'd traded in her glasses for contacts today, the shorts she wore showed off toned legs from biking and walking everywhere, and her curly brown hair was tied back in a neat ponytail with artful strands framing her face. It helped that she had a good tan from the summer. It would take time, but if Seifer and Marie ever dated Astrid thought it would benefit them both. But it won't happen anytime soon, Astrid thought with disappointment.

They stopped at a tiny café near the mall, waving hello to Sarah as they approached the counter. She sported a black visor with the letters SDC emblazoned in gold across the front, and wore a black apron over a white t-shirt with the same letters across the chest. Sarah had been working at the Sunset Delights Café since they'd started high school, and she remained loyal to the job despite the ridiculous name. Marie had gotten a job there for the summer, and she and Sarah were already fast friends. If she wasn't so perky, I'd like her more, Astrid mused. "Hey, Marie! Two chai teas, right?" Sarah announced before Astrid or Marie could say anything.

"It's like you know," Marie said with a grin. Sarah smiled back.

"Want a muffin this time?"

"Sure. Blueberry," Marie responded, glancing over at Astrid to see if she wanted anything else. Astrid shrugged and nodded. "Two blueberry muffins, then." Marie raised an eyebrow at her as Astrid hesitated. She grinned apologetically, and Marie rolled her eyes before rooting around for more change. Astrid had tried to get a job for the summer too, but the café had only wanted one extra hand and nowhere else was hiring. Marie never minded spotting her. I probably owe her a thousand munny by this point, though.

"I'll pay you back," Astrid promised as she took their order number from Sarah.

"Next time," Marie agreed. The café wasn't crowded at this time of the day, but they still took their usual spot in the very back, the tiny booth hidden behind a row of potted plants and a large cabinet that stored extra cutlery and plastic containers. Astrid placed the number on the table and sat down with a relieved sigh, immediately resting her head on her arms. Marie sat down across from her, and jokingly patted her on the head. "You okay, friend?" Astrid snorted, lifting her head.

"Yeah, fine." She closed her eyes, fighting the urge to rub at them. "Just tired."

"You sure?" Marie pressed.

"Marie," Astrid started, exasperated.

"Don't give me that. This has gone on for pretty much the whole summer." Astrid was surprised by the edge in Marie's voice. Stubbornness was an odd look for her, but she was pulling it off. Astrid felt that pull of guilt in her stomach again. "Tell me what's going on. I'm worried about you."

She went quiet as Sarah brought their food over. The tray Sarah placed before them had all the things for tea, and even a pat of butter for the muffins. "Thanks, Sarah," Marie said when the silence stretched on. Sarah said something cheery in response, but Astrid didn't hear it. She was trying to think of how to answer Marie.

"I don't know why I've been so tired," she said, watching as Marie doctored her tea. She always ordered the same thing, and always added milk and cinnamon to her drink. "It doesn't matter how much I sleep, I just wake up that way." Marie's annoyance softened into concern.

"You aren't staying up late or anything? Are you on the computer before you go to bed?" She sounds like someone's mother. "What?" She said defensively as Astrid gave her a look. "I'm just asking."

"No. I barely stay up past nine these days. And I read before I go to bed anyway."

"So it's not anything you're doing," Marie said musingly. She took a sip of her tea and broke off a piece of her muffin. "Do you dream at all?"

"What does that have to do with anything?"

"I don't know, I'm just throwing it out there. Maybe the kinds of dreams you have affect how deeply you're sleeping? My mom was talking about it the other day, she was saying-" Astrid tuned her out, focusing on fixing her own tea. Marie's mother had been a nurse and was currently a women's health educator. She was always going on about hormones and feelings. Normally it was interesting, but now it just made her head feel even heavier. She dumped more sugar into her tea than usual, hoping the added dose would wake her up. Sipping her drink, she watched Marie's mouth move as she theorized what was causing her sleeplessness. It feels like I was hit by a truck and broken into pieces; how would hormones explain that?

"-'re in danger-"

Astrid's head shot up. "What?"

"What?" Marie repeated, alarmed.

"What did you say?" Astrid asked, unsure if she was more frightened by the words or by Marie's ominous tone.

"I said that this is in danger of becoming a problem," Marie responded, looking at her strangely. "You know that, right? It can't be healthy for you to just sleep all day. You have to get out more."

"Yeah," Astrid responded slowly, unsure why her heart was suddenly racing.

"Maybe you and I could start going on walks every day. Fresh air, exercise. It couldn't hurt, right?" The hopeful look on Marie's face made her stomach twist. She's trying so hard. Time after time she'd blown Marie off, thinking that she'd understand. The whole summer had passed and they'd spent maybe two days of it together. More than that, it was always Marie who'd contacted her, Marie who made the plans. Astrid realized in that moment how much she'd taken Marie for granted.

"I'm sorry," she said through a hard lump in her throat.

"Hey," Marie protested. "Don't do that. It's okay."

"No, it's really not. I'm a shitty friend."

"Sometimes." The unexpected barb and Marie's accompanying grin startled a laugh out of her. "I just want to know that you're okay." She smiled, and the relief that swept through Astrid was dizzying. "Love you, friend."

"Love you, friend," Astrid answered. They finished their tea, talking about the upcoming school year and what it would hold for them. Astrid led the way out of the café, feeling lighter than she could remember. I'll make it up to her, she promised silently.

As she stepped through the door something whipped past her.

She staggered, gasping as pain flashed across her forehead. Lifting her hand her head, she stared, unable to comprehend what she was looking at.

Something silver and fluid was catapulting itself away, sliding into a vaguely human shape before darting down the hill.

"Astrid?" Marie turned to face her and gasped, her hands flying to her mouth. "What the hell just happened?!"

"I don't know," she said shakily, pulling her hand away. Red stained her fingers. "It cut me!"

"What cut you? I didn't see anything." Marie looked around anxiously. "We need to get you to the doctor."

"No." She started after it slowly, compelled by something she couldn't name. "I think I've…seen that thing before!"

"Astrid, wait!" She heard Marie scream behind her, but she couldn't stop. She charged after the creature, sprinting past startled shoppers, down the Market Street hill, until she came to the Sandlot. She was barely out of breath, feeling more alive than she had in months, when she found Seifer and his gang.

"Astrid! What happened to you?" Seifer demanded, catching her as she ran by. "You're bleeding!"

"Where'd it go?" She asked, her mad dash catching up with her. She gulped down air, fighting down a wave of dizziness. She noticed that Seifer had massive bruises on his right arm and his cheek, but was too preoccupied to question it. "That silver thing, where'd it go?"

"The thief?" Seifer's grip on her arm didn't loosen. "Hayner and his loser friends ran after it. I think they split up." Seifer gestured towards the alleyway.

"The thief?" Astrid repeated, confused, until she remembered what Marie and her mother had been talking about. "I need to find it." She made to slip out of Seifer's hold, but Seifer actually tugged her back, squeezing hard to keep her in place. "You're hurting me. Let go!"

"Astrid, they'll take care of it," he said insistently. "Stay here, you're hurt."

"Let go, Seifer!" She ripped herself out of his hold, running towards the alleyway. She heard Seifer and the others calling to her, but she couldn't bring herself to listen.

"Astrid, turn back!" was the last voice she heard before spying Roxas running through the gaping hole that led into the woods. Not daring to stop in case Seifer caught up with her, she hurtled through the broken wall into the dark forest.

She could hear footsteps in the distance, the sound of branches breaking interrupting the otherwise silent place. The Twilight Town woods were enormous, over five hundred acres of tall trees casting dark shadows on the ground. Only a bare amount of sunlight broke through the leafy canopy, leaving the entire wood dark and quiet. Astrid remembered playing games in the dark with Marie, Seifer, and his friends, anticipation making them scream more often than being actually scared. She loved this place, loved its silence and its welcoming atmosphere.

It was a surprise that she suddenly felt afraid.

She went further into the woods, hopping over enormous roots and avoiding the trees. Finding the path was difficult, but Astrid had walked through the woods all her life. She knew the quickest ways to get to the mansion that lay on the other side of the forest. She listened carefully, but couldn't hear Roxas's footsteps. She couldn't even hear birds, or the scurrying of small animals.

When she realized the forest was perfectly silent, the silver creature suddenly plummeted from the canopy, landing gracefully not five feet from her. She stopped, nearly overbalancing in her suddenly halt, and stared at the strange thing before her.If it had been darker she might have taken it for a person. The thing had two legs, two arms, and a head, but that was where all human resemblance ended. Its body was silver, with black bands running up its sides and down its skinny legs. The bands dimly flashed as the creature moved. It had no fingers or toes, but fused flesh that ended in points. It was unnaturally thin, its limbs loose and slinky. The way it swayed back and forth, its head lolling from side to side, made it appear boneless. Its head was triangular with a strange, gaping mouth with zippers shining in the corners, the lips sprouting ragged teeth. On top of its head was a strange symbol…

Astrid suddenly couldn't breathe. Her chest seized up, her heart hammering in her ears. Terror overwhelmed her, her eyes filling with tears. I don't…understand! She panicked, trying to gasp out a breath, but her body wouldn't obey. She crashed to the ground, her vision swimming, the creature blurring into nothingness. She gasped again and again, trying to breathe. She felt far away, the constrictive hold on her chest and throat blocking out every thought, every emotion. All she knew was that she wanted her mother, wanted Marie…wanted anyone.

"Begone!"

"Astrid? Astrid!"

She gasped, her chest heaving as she began to cough. Dizziness swamped her, a grey haze overcoming her vision before suddenly clearing. She breathed deeply, her throat scraped raw with each breath. She looked up, seeing a boy with wild blonde hair gently shaking her shoulder. "You okay?" He asked, concerned. His deep blue eyes were wide. "What happened?"

"Roxas?" She winced at the soreness in her throat. "Hey," she said weakly, pushing herself to her knees. "There was a…thing. A silver creature. I followed it to the woods." Roxas went very still, his tanned face going pale.

"You saw it, too?"

"Astrid!"

They both jumped. Marie and Seifer were sprinting towards them, Marie reaching her side first. "Are you okay? What the hell were you thinking, running off like that?" She demanded, looking close to tears. "Oh, your poor head!"

"It's not bleeding anymore," Roxas tried to reassure, but he was pushed aside by Seifer. Astrid reached up, cringing as pain seared across her head. Seifer leaned in close, inspecting the cut, while Marie went on about how worried she'd been.

"It's not too bad," Seifer announced after a moment. "It's just a head wound, Marie. They always look bad."

"You're sure?" Marie asked tearfully. Neither of them noticed when Roxas quietly walked away, holding something in his hand. Seifer nodded, for once devoid of his cocky smirk.

"Yeah, she'll be fine. She's tough as nails, our Astrid." Seifer reached over and gently squeezed Marie's hand. Astrid tried not to smile. Marie noticed how close she and Seifer were sitting and quickly stood, her cheeks flushing pink.

"Okay, good. I'll, um, I'll take her home. Your mom has a first-aid kit, right?"

"Probably," Astrid said, slowly getting to her feet. Exhaustion engulfed her, causing her knees to wobble. Seifer caught her, telling her to slow down. Marie went to stand on her other side, and they slowly walked her home. Astrid nodded as they said soothing platitudes, but all she wanted to do was cry. I was actually awake for the first time in forever, and then I was so afraid. What happened to me? What was that creature?

Who was that voice at the end?

"Astrid! What have you done to yourself?" She looked up, startled. She hadn't realized they'd walked so far; they were standing on her front porch. Her mom took over supporting her, asking Seifer and Marie what had happened. Astrid was glad they weren't asking anything of her. She was sure she'd burst into tears if they asked her a question.

Her mom brought her upstairs to her room. "Oh, honey," she whispered, looking distraught. "You must have hit your head so hard."

"I didn't hit my head, I was-"

"Don't worry about the details," she interrupted, urging her to sit on her bed. "Can you get into your PJ's on your own?"

"Yeah, Mom," she responded, glad her mom was there despite her overprotectiveness.

"I'm going to get you some water. Once you've changed, you drink that down and go right to bed, okay? You'll feel better after some sleep. And don't get on me about how I already said you were sleeping too much," she warned, trying to smile.

"Wasn't going to," Astrid said without any heat. Contradicting her mom hadn't even crossed her mind. I would have, before. Now she was too tired to even think, let alone raise an argument. After her mom left, she tiredly changed, dragging her pajamas on before collapsing onto the pillow. She was already drifting off, but she knew deep in her gut that it was wrong.

I want to be awake…I don't want to be tired anymore.

"I'm sorry. It has to be this way."

The man sitting at the computer closed his eyes.

He thought she would be safe there, even with the Nobody in the simulation. He never would have believed that the Organization could catch up with them so fast. As much as his heart was telling him to pull her out and find another safe haven, he knew that would only give the enemy more ways to enter the simulation. The world he'd created was meant to stay static. Any interruption would cause those not made of data to become aware that their world was not all it seemed.

His right hand clenched into a fist. I just need a little more time.

"I'm sorry," he told the sleeping girl, regret in every word. "It has to be this way."